Offsetting mechanism for sawmill-carriages



(Ne Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. CUNNINGHAM. GFFSBTTING MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL GARRIAGES.

No. 494,735, Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

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(No Moel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A} CUNNINGHAM. OFFSETTINGY MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL GARRIYAGES.

No. 494,735. Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet: 3.

A. CUNNINGHAM. OPFSETTING MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL GARRIAGES.

No. 494,735. Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

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ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, OF MILVVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

OFFSETTiNG MECHANISM FOR SAWMILL-CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,735, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed April 14, 1888. Serial N0. 270,619. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT CUNNINGHAM, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Otisetting Moch anism for Sawmill-Carriages; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part oi this specification.

The main object of my invention is to move the log or timber to be sawed laterally away from the saw in gigging or running the carriage backward.

It consists essentially of a laterally movable carriage frame, a guiding shoe arranged to traverse a guiding track lengthwise thereof but laterally immovable thereon, and connected by suitable offsetting mechanism with the carriage frame, and of certain other peculiarities of construction and arrangement hereinafter particularlydescribed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure l is a plan view of a saw-mill carriage to which my improved offsetting mechanism is applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 1 1, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 2 2, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a portion of a carriage with my improved offsetting device and a hand lever connection for operating the same. Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 3 3, Fig. 5; and Figs. 7 to 21 inclusive illustrate various modifications of my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and i, A represents the carriage frame, which is capable of slight lateral movement upon its supporting axles B B. D D are the track rails of the usual or any suitable form and construction. 0 (J are the carriage or truck wheels provided with flanges to guide them on the ra'ilsD D. p G G are shoeslongitudinally'grooved or flanged to engage with a guiding rail or one of the track rails D, on which it is adapted to slide lengthwise thereof, but is held immovablelaterally. They are connected with each other by a rod g parallel with the track or carriage and by arms or links F F with the carriage frame A. The arms F F each have a jointed connection at one end with the adjacent shoe G and at the other end with a bracket 6 attached to a beam E secured parallel with the carriage sides to cross girts of frame A. Connected in this manner with the shoes G and the carriage frame A, the arms F F are capable of angular movement with reference to said carriage, and the track which it traverses, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1. The shoesG G are held down in engagement with the guiding track rail D by means of springs f f attached at one end to the arms F F and provided at the other end with sliding pads f f bearing on plates f f attached to the under side of the rear side rail of the carriage frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When said arms F are perpendicular or at right angles to the carriage and track the carriage frame A will obviously occupy a position nearest the saw line, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, but when they are inclined to the carriage and track the frame A will be drawn correspondingly toward the shoe guiding rail, or in this case, away from the saw line, as shown by dotted lines in the same figure. The connecting rod 9 passes at an intermediate point in its length through a slotted opening in arm 71. attached to and projecting from the side of the carriage frame A, and upon opposite sides of said arm h are adjustably secured upon rod g by means of set bolts 72 72. stop collars or blocks 72. 77., so as to limit the longitudinal movement of the shoes G with reference to the carriage or vice versa, and thereby to limit the action of the offsetting mechanism. The stop blocks or collars h h are provided on their working faces with cushions k k of any suitable elastic material to prevent hammering when they strike the arm h. r I is a sliding block working transversely to the rod g in a sleeve formed for the purpose in bracket H beside the arm h, which is also formed with said bracket. 1 I is a hand lever fulcrumed to the carriage frame A and connected with the'block I'so as to move the same between the arm h and one of the stop blocks h and thus prevent the oifsettin g mechanism from operating, or so as to'withdraw it and allow said offsetting mechanism to act.

Referring .to Figs. 5 and 6, J represents a hand lever fulcru med to a bracket J attached erencc to the carriage.

to the side rail of the carriage frame A. It is provided at the lower end with a lateral projection or pin j, which projects between and works with lugs on a block J adjustably Secured by a set bolt j upon the connecting followsz-When the carriage is advanced in thedirection indicated by arrows, Figs. land 2, thearmsF F assume the position shown by full lines in Fig. lat right angles to the line of travel of the carriage, and move the carriage frame A laterallyinto working .position toward the saw line, the arm h e'ngaging the forward stop h and arresting the action of the offsetting mechanism when the arms F F are moved into the positionabove stated. When the movement of the carriage is reversed the shoes G G are retained by their frictional engagement with the guiding track quiescent until the links or arms F F are moved into the position indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1,

and the carriage frame A is moved laterally away from the saw line. The arm h, engaging with the rear stop it, arrests the further offsetting of the carriage at the desired point.

It will be observed that the operation of the ofisetting mechanism by reason of the frictional engagement of the shoes G G with the guiding track with which the work is automatic. When the movement of the carriage is reversed said shoes through their connections with the carriage frame hold and guide said carriage frame either in its working or offset position, irrespective of the carriage supporting or truck wheels.

Whenever it is necessary or desirable to prevent the ofisetting of the carriage, the block I is moved by means of the lever 1 between thearm hand rear stop block 71.. The movement of the offsetting mechanism is limited and adjusted by the proper adjustmentof the stop blocks h h on the connecting rod g, or when the lever J and stopsj j are employed in place thereof, by means of the adjustment of the block J on said connecting rod. The offsetting mechanism may be operated independently of the feed of the carriage, or prevented from operating automatically by means of the hand lever J.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, representing respectivclya plan view and a vertical cross section on the line 4 4:, Fig. 7, of a carriage with a modified form of my improved offset- .ting'device, K K are shoes similar to those hereinbefore described, and working like them with a guiding rail D of the track, but formed with upwardly projectingv stems 7c is, which are inserted and work in inclined slots k k of thebrackets K K attached to the side of the carriage frame A. The shoes K K are connected by a rod 9 upon which is adjustably secured stop blocks h it, one on each side of an arm h in the manner previously described. When the carriage is fed forward in the direction of the arrowfldig. 7, the shoes K K engaging the track rail D sufficiently to hold them quiescent while the inclined slots k k slide on their stems his, move :the carriage frame obliquely toward the saw line till the arm h, engaging the forward stop It,

h, 'carries'xsaid offsetting mechanism along with the carriage.

Referring to Figs. 9,10, 11, 12 and 13, illustrating respectively a plan view,-a side elevation, a vertical cross section partly on the line 5 5 and partly on the line 6 6, Fig. 10, and details of a still further modified form of my improved offsetting device, L, L are shoes adapted, like those described, to engage and traverse a guiding rail, but provided with round stems Z Z extending upwardly therefrom into upright eccentric sleeves L L which work in boxes L, attached to the carriage frame A. The sleeves L are provided with crank armsl which are connected by rods Z l with the crank arm 0' on an intermediate axle B. The crank arm 0' is formed in connection wi-tlione section 0 of a conical friction clutch and with a sectorshaped extension 0 having at the extremities of its periphery lugs 0 0 which engage with a stop '0 fixed to the carriage frame, and limit the angular movement of the crank arm. The section 0 of the friction clutch, provided with the crank arm, and shown in Fig. l3 in side elevation and in cross section .on the line 8, 8, is free to turn on the axle B, but is restrained from lateral movement thereon by collars 0 0, shown in Fig. 11. The other-section Not said clutch, shown in Fig. 12 in elevation and section on the line 7 7, is feathered and movable endwise on said axle and is held by a spring 11. interposed between it and a collar n in engagement with the sectionO. Theclutch sections may bedisengaged by means of alever N fulcrumed to the carriage frame and engaging a groove in section N.

Unlike the construction hereinbefore de- ITO setting laterally upon the rails D D.

scribed, the carriage frame A has no lateral movement upon and independently of its axles B B and its wheels 0 C are not flanged but have plane faces adapted to be moved in 0d- The flanges employed on the carriage wheels when the carriage frame A is movable upon and endwise of its supporting axles B B to guide them on the track rails D D are dispensed with when the carriage frame has no such lateral movement upon its axles and the carriage wheels are designed to slide laterally upon the rails when the carriage is in motion.

The operation of the foregoing device is as follows :-When the movement of the carriage in either direction is reversed, the section N of the friction clutch, rotating with the carriage axle B, turns the section 0 with its arm 0 till its movement is arrested by one of the lugs o engaging the stop 0 The crank- 0, operating through the connecting rods Z Z upon the crank arms Z 1', turn the eccentric sleeves L L in their bearings and thereby move the carriage frame A toward or from the shoe stems Z Z in said sleeves, and toward or from the saw line according to the direction of the travel of the carriage.

Referring to Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17, illustrating respectively a plan View, a vertical cross section on the line 9, 9, Fig. 14, a horizontal section on the line 10, 10, Fig. 15, of the eccentric sleeve and box inverted, and details of afurther modification of my improved oifsetting device, D represents a separate guiding rail laid between and parallel with the track rails D D. LL are shoes like those shown in Figs. 9 and 10, working with said rail and provided with round stems extending upwardly into eccentric sleeves L L which work in boxes L L attached to beams E E, like those previously described. The eccentric sleeves L L are provided with crank arms Z Z which are connected byarod Z and one of said sleeves is provided with a hand lever M by means of which the offsetting mechanism is operated by hand.

Referring to Figs. 13, 19 and 20, being respectively a plan view, a side elevation and a vertical cross section of a portion of a carp p attached to cross girls of the carriage frame A. This shaft is provided with a crank arm 1), which is connected by a link p with the shoe G and it is also provided with a hand lever 1?, by means of which the olfsetting 6 5 mechanism is operated independently of the travel of the carriage. Two or more shoesG' riage and offsetting mechanism embodying a connected in like manner with the rock shaft P are employed.

Fig. 21 is a vertical cross section of a still further modification of my invention, in which offsetting mechanism like that shown in Figs. 18, 19 and 20 is employed, but with a separate guiding track D for the shoes G'and plane faced carriage wheels, 0 0 instead of flanged wheels, the carriage frame A having no lateral movement upon, and independently of, the carriage axles B B.

It will be observed that in the several methods hereinbefore described of applying the guiding shoes to offsetting carriages, the

offsetting mechanismor devices act transversely through said shoes upon a guiding rail, and not directly through the ordinary carriage axles and'wheels upon the track rail or rails, hence the shoes instead ofthe carriage wheels control the position of the log frame transversely with reference to the travel of the carriage, not only serving temporarily as laterally immovable attachments for the off-setting mechanism, in moving the carriage frame transversely to the line of travel of the carriage, but also as guides for holding said carriage frame during its movement forward and backward in its working and ofisetpositions.

It is obvious that friction rollers may be placed in or substituted for the side flanges of the guiding shoes and that various modifications of the device may be employed for connecting the ofisettin g mechanism with the guiding rail without change in the mode of to traverse said rail lengthwise thereof in en-' gagement therewith and laterally immovable thereon, and elf-setting mechanism connected with said shoe and with said carriage frame, and arranged to act through said shoe transversely u pon said rail for off-setting and guid ing said carriage frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. I

2. The combination witha sawmill carriage frame capable of movement transversely to the line of travel of the carriage, of a guiding rail parallel with said line of travel, two or more connected guiding shoes adapted to engage with and to traverse said rail lengthwise and off -setting mechanism connected with said shoes and with said carriage frame and acting through said shoes transversely upon said rail to offset the carriage frame and to guide it in its working and offset positions,

XIO

' traverse said guiding rail lengthwise and arms t and, with said carriage frame, and'acting through; said shoes transversely upon said guiding track to offset the carriageframe and having jointed connections with said shoes to guide itiniits working and offset positions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth,

4:, Thecom bination with a sawmill carriage frame capable of lateral movement with reference' to the line of travelof the carriage, of

and traverse said rail, and capable of a limited movement lengthwise thereofindepend V ently of the travel of thecarriage andoifsetting meohanismconnecting said shoes with said carriageframe and acting through said shoes transversely uponzsaid railto offset the I carriage frameand to guide it in its working and offset, positions, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth. r t

ment independently of the travel of the car riage, off-setting mechanism connecting'said shoeswith said carriageframeand acting transversely through said shoes upon said rail to offset the carriage frame and to guide :it in its working and offset positionsand V stops arranged to limit'the independent move 7 ment of said shoes, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination with a sawmill carriage frame capable of movement transversely to its line of travel, a guiding rail parallel with the carriage, shoes adapted to traverse said rail in engagement therewith, off setting mechanism connecting said shoes with said frame, a rod connecting said shoes with each other, and stops attached to said carriage frame and to said rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7.. The combination with a sawmill carriage frame capable of movement transversely to its line of travel, a guiding rail parallel with said frame, shoes adapted to traverse said rail in engagement therewith and connected with each other by a rod, off-setting mechanism connecting said shoes with said frame and stops, one or more of which are adj ustably attached to said frame and to said rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination with a sawmill carriage frame capable of movement transversely to its line of travel, a guiding rail parallel therewith, shoes adapted to engage with and traverse said rail and having a limited movement independently of the travel of the carriage, off-setting mechanism connecting said shoes with said frame, a rod connecting said shoes with each other, stops attached to said rod and to said frame and a sliding block arranged to be interposed between the fixed and one of the movable stops whereby'the offsetting The combination with a laterally mow ablesawmill carriage frame, of a guiding rail parallel therewith, a guiding shoe adapted'to' traverse said rail lengthwise in engagement therewith and'laterally immovable thereon, v

ofi-setting mechanism connecting said shoe with said-frame and acting transversely through .saidshoe upon sai'd rail tooffset said 1 frame, and to guide and hold it in its working and oifset positions, and a locking device wherebythe V off-setting mechanism may be prevented from operating and said frame from 'ofi-setting, substantially as and for the pure poses set forth. V

10; The combination with a laterally movable sawmill c'arriage frame, of a guiding rail 'mechanism' is restrained from :aetion,sub:- V stantially as and for the purposes set forth; 7 7

parallel therewith, guiding shoesadaptedto 'i g V r traverse said rail lengthwise inengagement V V Thecombination witha sawmill carriage therewith and laterally immovable? thereon,

said shoes being capabie'of a limited move-' ment'independentlylof the travel of the carsaid shoes and with the frame and acting ting'of said frame may be prevented, substantially as and forthe' purposes set forth.

11. The combination with a laterally movable sawmill carriage frame of a guiding rail parallel with its line of travel, a guiding shoe adapted to travel said rail lengthwise in engagement therewith and laterallyimmovable thereon, off-setting mechanism connected with said shoe and with said frame and acting directly through said shoe transversely on said rail to offset said frame and to guide it in its working and off-set positions, and a hand lever connected with and arranged to operate said ofisetting mechanism independently of the movement of the carriage, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. The combination with a laterally movable carriage frame, of a guiding rail parallel therewith, a guiding shoe adapted to traverse said rail lengthwise in engagement therewith and capable of a limited longitudinal movement thereon independently of the travel of the carriage, ofi-setting mechanism connecting said shoe with said frame and acting transversely through the same directly upon said rail to offset said frame and to hold and guide it in its working and offset positions, and a spring holding said shoe by a yielding pressure in engagement with said rail, whereby the shoe is caused to remain quiescent while the carriage travels the required distance to operate the (off-setting mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. The combination with a sawmill carriage frame laterally movable with reference through saidshoes transversely onuthe guid ,7 in'g'rail'to ofifset said frame'and to hold and v 1 guide it in its working and offset positions, and a locking devicewhereby the independ-a V ent movement of said shoes and the otf-set- 9O riage, off-setting mechanismxconnectcd with 1 In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, GEORGE M. GoLL. 

